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Youth program accepting applicants
he Keystone State ChalleNGe Academy (KSCA) is accepting applications for its next class of cadets, which will begin the program in January 2025. There is no tuition cost to attend. Meals, housing, uniforms, and school supplies are provided at no charge. The KSCA is designed to give academically challenged teens a second chance at obtaining their basic education and an o p p or t u n i t y to le a r n le adership, s elf-dis cipline, and responsibility so they can build a better life. The program is open to 16to 18-year-old Pennsylvania residents who are failing to progress in high school or who may not be on a clear path to graduating. Applicants must be willing to be drug free and free of felony convictions, and they must voluntarily commit to the program. The program lasts for 17 months, with the first five months consisting of residential training at Fort Indiantown Gap (FTIG) and a minimum of one year of mentorship back in participants’ home communities. The KSC A conducts two classes a year, one star ting in mid-July and the other in mid-January. Applications are accepted all year. Cadets are introduced to the militar y structure and focus
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CASA event will celebrate transformative powers of heroes BY JEFF FALK
on eig ht core comp onents: academic excellence, physical fitness, leadership and followership, responsible citizenship, job skills, service to the community, health and hygiene, and life coping skills. Graduates often receive high school credits, credentials, or a GED diploma. KSC A is the Pennsylvania program of the national Youth Challenge program. The KSCA is a joint effort between the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs and the National Guard Bureau in consultation with the Pennsylvania Department of Education. The opening of the academy at FTIG in Lebanon County in July 2022 formally established the pro gram in Pennsylvania.
Youths participated in a graduation ceremony upon completion of the National Guard ChalleNGe Academy program.
Since the inception of the n a t i o n a l Yo u t h C h a l l e n g e program in 1993, more than 200,000 cadets have graduated. T he Nat ion a l G u a rd Yo u t h ChalleNGe Program currently operates 40 Youth Challenge sites in 28 states and territories. The program is both federally and state funded.
For detailed eligibility requirements and to begin the application process, visit www .dmva.pa.gov/KeystoneState ChallengeAcademy. To request that an application be mailed or for more information about the program, email ra-mvpa challenge@pa.gov or call 717-861-7767 or 717-861-8831.
Heroes come in all shapes, sizes and ages. The heroic volunteers of Court Appointed Special Advocates of Lancaster and Lebanon Counties serve, place others ahead of themselves and seek to make the world a better place to live. C A S A of L ancaster and Lebanon Counties’ upcoming gala is the nonprofit’s signature event, partly because it celebrates these heroes. It also brings together volunteers, donors, community members and friends, new and old alike. “It’s always about putting the best interests of youth first,” said Margie Lamberson, CASA of Lancaster and Lebanon Counties’ director of development. “A C A SA (court-appointed special advocate) is appointed by the court, and they’re another set of eyes and ears for the judge,” she explained. “A CASA is always there for (children who have been abused or neglected). That’s their sole pur pose. They ’re constantly asking, ‘What does the child need? Are they being well cared for? How are they doing in school?’” The 14th edition of CASA of L ancaster and Lebanon See CASA pg 2
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